Author: Rachel Ravencraft

Joint Annual Meeting to Celebrate Accomplishments, Build for the Future

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

Dairy leaders from National Milk Producers Federation, National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, and United Dairy Industry Association will travel to Kissimmee, FL on Oct. 19-21 for Joint Annual Meeting, themed “U.S. Dairy: Committed. Resilient. Ready.”

A highlight of every Joint Annual Meeting is the Awards Luncheon, and this year’s program, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, puts the meeting’s theme into focus by honoring the farmers and cooperatives who embody commitment, resilience, and readiness every day.

The luncheon will recognize recipients for:

  • Richard Lyng Award
  • NMPF’s Dairy Product Contest Awards
  • NMPF’s Communications Awards
  • FARM Program Awards

Made possible by the generous support of CoBank, the Awards Luncheon is a chance for farmers, cooperative leaders and industry partners from across the country to come together, share a meal, and celebrate the achievements that keep U.S. dairy strong.

This year, the Awards Luncheon will also feature the National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program’s Live Auction. Attendees will have the opportunity to bid on prizes, including the top prize of welcoming USDEC President and CEO Kyrsta Harden to work on your farm for a day.

Attendees will have more chances to win prizes, including two tickets to a Buffalo Bills at New York Jets game, a holiday cookie box, a pie subscription, a cheese fortune-telling session, and more, at the silent auction during the evening cheese reception and through NMPF’s online scholarship fundraising raffle, which is live now.

The NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program supports Master’s and Ph.D. students conducting research important to dairy farmers. The scholarship program is largely funded through the raffle fundraiser, making ticket purchases essential to its funding. Sustaining this program means ensuring that critical research benefiting the entire dairy community can continue.

Registration for Joint Annual Meeting remains open, giving dairy farmers, cooperative leaders, and industry partners the chance to be in the room as the industry honors its best.

Senate Ag Committee Advances Farm Bill, Moving Dairy Priorities a Step Closer

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026 on Sept. 16. The bill passed on a 12-11 party-line vote after Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-KY, returned to the committee following an extended absence. No changes were made to the legislation, so the version that advanced is the same one considered at the Aug. 6 markup.

The committee-passed bill keeps the dairy priorities NMPF has championed throughout the drafting process. These include mandatory cost and yield surveys to inform future Federal Milk Marketing Order updates, extension of key dairy safety net programs, support for common cheese name protections, and expanded funding for dairy nutrition and innovation initiatives. The current version also removes Tier I premiums and enrollment fees related to Dairy Margin Coverage. NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud welcomed the vote in a statement.

Given the tight legislative calendar left this Congress, it would be a heavy lift to pass the Senate farm bill and then enter into conference negotiations with the House. Senator Boozman suggested recently that his staff will begin four corner negotiations to try to reach a deal that could be included in a year-end package. That said, this will still require some Democratic support in the Senate. Senate Democrats continue to demand a two-year delay to the SNAP cost share provisions passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year.

NMPF will keep working with both parties to get a strong farm bill across the finish line.

USMCA Update: U.S.-Canada Dispute Escalates as Talks with Mexico Continue

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

With the future of U.S.-Canada trade relations in limbo, NMPF Executive Vice President Shawna Morris traveled to Ottawa and Toronto the week of Sept. 14 for meetings with Canadian government and dairy industry officials, and to represent U.S. dairy at the International Association of Milk Control Agencies (IAMCA) annual meeting. Morris reiterated U.S. dairy’s longstanding priorities in reciprocal trade talks with Canada, including resolving Canada’s persistent efforts to sidestep its dairy trade commitments under USMCA, and made clear that U.S. dairy wants Canada back at the negotiating table rather than an ever-escalating trade war. At IAMCA, she outlined U.S. dairy’s perspective on the shifting trade policy landscape, emphasizing USMCA’s benefits while pressing for fixes where the agreement has fallen short.

The visits came amid a continued escalation in U.S.-Canada dairy trade tensions. On Aug. 22, the United States imposed 50 percent tariffs on certain Canadian dairy imports under Section 338 of the Trade Act of 1930, citing Canada’s discriminatory treatment of U.S. dairy exports. Canada retaliated with its own tariff list, effective Sept. 8. The United States responded by announcing bans on certain Canadian whey imports previously subject to the 50 percent tariff, along with new 50 percent tariffs on certain Canadian cheeses, which were not covered in the original action. Those bans and new duties took effect Sept. 29.

NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council secured confirmation that U.S. exports shipped under Canada’s Import for Re-Export Program won’t be hit by retaliatory tariffs and have confirmed Canada is applying its remissions policy to goods used in manufacturing, processing, or packaging. In contrast, goods sold directly at retail in Canada still face the full retaliatory tariff. Unlike Canada’s 2025 retaliation, even USMCA-compliant products are now subject to this latest round.

NMPF Hosts Fireside Chat with House Ag Chair, Panel Discussions at Expo

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud was joined by Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, for a fireside chat exploring the issues shaping dairy’s future Oct. 1 at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI.

From the farm bill and agricultural labor reform to whole milk and beyond, Doud and Thompson discussed where key policies stand in Washington, and what’s at stake for dairy farmers and their cooperatives.

“I think, in the lame duck after this election is over, cooler heads will prevail,” Thompson said about passing the next iteration of the farm bill. “We all, every House member and especially every senator has a lot of constituents who will benefit from the provisions of that remaining farm bill.”

The fireside chat was part of a full lineup of expert panel discussions hosted by NMPF and The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program at World Dairy Expo.

NMPF’s National YC Program began the Oct. 1 programming with a panel discussion on how dairy farmers are optimizing milk production to meet evolving market demands. CoBank’s Corey Geiger helped set the stage with background on the current economic trends. Nate Zwald of Progenco, Progressive Dairy Solution’s Dr. John Goeser and dairy farmer Jordan Siemers of Siemers Holsteins all provided their perspective on ways to improve profitability, enhance component output and respond to market signals more effectively.

NMPF Chief Sustainability Officer Nicole Ayache led a panel discussion on how FARM ES is opening doors to new value streams. Later in the day, the FARM Program, in partnership with the Beef Quality Assurance program, hosted a session focused on how to protect dairy herds from New World screwworm.

The day concluded with another panel discussion featuring Trey Forsyth, NMPF vice president of government and regulatory affairs, and Mary Knigge, DFA vice president of government relations, examining key congressional races and how shifts in Congress could reshape the policy landscape for dairy farmers — and how advocacy may need to evolve in response to post-election dynamics.

The National YC Program also partnered with the Dairy Girl Network to host a panel on Oct. 2 featuring women leaders in the U.S. dairy industry, including Allison Thomas of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, dairy farmer Becky Nyman, and Sara Dorland with Ceres Dairy Risk Management. Led by Dairy Girl Network’s Laura Daniels, the discussion highlighted how export growth influences domestic milk prices and supports the long-term profitability of U.S. dairy farms.

Earlier in the week, NMPF’s Tony Rice and Trey Forsyth joined the Open Door Exchange to lead a discussion with producers on labor issues and trade policy opportunities. Producers also had opportunities to connect with NMPF and the FARM Program throughout the week at an exhibit hall booth stocked with free posters, manuals and other resources.

The Fight for Flavored Milk

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

I recently had a conversation with a concerned parent telling me that chocolate milk is “bad for you” and we should not be giving it to children in schools. I understood where the parent was coming from — parents today are bombarded with conflicting nutrition advice and wanting to limit how much sugar our kids consume is a sensible instinct. As a parent myself, I share it.

That same week, the Wall Street Journal published an article about how school districts across the country are struggling with students drinking record numbers of high-caffeine energy drinks.

I know that nutrition, especially involving American kids, is a hot button issues these days, and it’s one that people care deeply about. They deserve clear information to help them make good choices. It’s frustrating to me that flavored milk is getting a bad rap when so many children are drinking beverages with known stimulative effects, artificial additives, and minimal nutrition. So, I wanted to step back and ask a simple question: what are the facts?

It is an indisputable fact that flavored milk — at any fat level — provides the same 13 essential nutrients as unflavored white milk. Children who drink flavored milk consume more milk overall and have higher intakes of vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and other nutrients. And studies show flavored milk consumption is associated with better overall diet quality without any adverse effect on weight.

Milk is good for you.

Flavored milk is also good for you.

It seems so obvious to me.

But no matter how much we share the science backing up flavored milk, it is consistently criticized and called “unhealthy.” Why? According to critics, that’s easy: Added sugars. 

FDA says that consuming too much added sugar can make it difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie limits. The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans take a more aggressive stance on limiting added sugars than in previous years, stating that each meal should contain no more than 10 grams of added sugars. And because the food served in school meals must follow the dietary guidelines, flavored milk and yogurt are at risk of being severely restricted or removed from school meals entirely.

But flavored milk contributes just four percent of added sugars in the diets of children ages 2 to 18. Moreover, dairy processors have voluntarily cut added sugars in flavored milk in schools by 57 percent since 2006. Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, 37 fluid milk processors made the Healthy School Milk Commitment, agreeing to provide flavored milk cartons with no more than 10 grams of added sugar per 8-ounce serving. Currently, flavored school milk on average has only 7 to 8 grams of added sugar per serving, lower than ever before.

This matters because of what children actually drink. Roughly seven percent of fluid milk sales in the United States is school milk, and about two-thirds of that is flavored milk. Studies have shown that food waste in schools is reduced when flavored milk is offered, and kids consistently choose flavored milk over unflavored milk. A carton of milk that gets finished delivers far more nutrition than one that ends up in the trash.

Demonizing flavored milk because of a few extra grams of added sugar is, in my book, missing the forest for the trees. The American Academy of Pediatrics has said in a policy statement: “a beverage such as flavored milk provides a good example of the balance needed to limit added sugars and yet promote nutrient-rich foods.”

And that’s the key. Balance. What the anti-added sugars argument is missing is that, unlike many other sugar sweetened beverages, flavored milk is jam-packed with nutrients that all humans, especially kids, need for growth and development.

Unfortunately, the anti-added sugars rhetoric may be winning right now in Washington.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Administration in July submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a proposed rule for aligning Child Nutrition Program requirements with the recommendations in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. There is a strong chance from what we have heard that this rule will lower the added sugars limits in the school lunch and breakfast programs, including very specific limits for flavored milk and yogurt.

Currently, flavored milk in schools can have no more than 10 grams of added sugars per 8 fluid ounces. Even in the unlikely event that those limits stay the same, the aggressive stance in the new dietary guidelines of no more than 10 grams of added sugars per meal would force schools to choose between serving flavored milk and having any added sugars at all in the other foods served.

If such a reduction means that milk’s obvious nutritional benefits end up in the garbage, then we have failed at the very purpose of providing nutritional guidelines in the first place.

A chocolate milk mustache is better than no mustache at all.
 

Gregg Doud

President & CEO, NMPF

 

U.S. Dairy Statement on Greg Ibach USDA Under Secretary Nomination

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Council today welcomed the nomination of Greg Ibach to serve as USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.

From Gregg Doud, President and CEO of NMPF:

“As U.S. dairy farmers increasingly look to build international markets, USDA serves as a key resource to help our exporters meet global customers. Greg Ibach is a longtime leader in the agricultural industry and is an excellent choice to lead this important work. We look forward to working with him in this new capacity and urge a swift confirmation process in the Senate.”

From Krysta Harden, President and CEO of USDEC:

“USDA’s role in facilitating dairy trade requires experienced leadership. Greg Ibach is the right choice to serve as Under Secretary for this critical work that dairy exporters rely upon. His impressive tenure as a leader at USDA and his firsthand experience as a farmer provides him with a valuable perspective to ensure that our producers’ interests are promoted on the international stage. We encourage the Senate to quickly advance his nomination.” 

U.S. Dairy Statement on U.S.-China Board of Trade

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Council welcomed an announcement today of the operationalization of a U.S.-China Board of Trade and its initial product scope:

Gregg Doud, President and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation

“America’s dairy farmers welcome the launch of the U.S.-China Board of Trade, and we commend USTR for prioritizing agricultural exports. Retaliatory tariffs continue to put U.S. dairy at a disadvantage in China while our competitors gain ground. We are encouraged by dairy’s inclusion as products slated for retaliatory tariff reductions. U.S. dairy farmers look forward to seeing China’s tariff retaliation on dairy fully lifted and urge the inclusion of dairy in as key part of China’s agricultural purchase commitments. The positive momentum today is good for farmers, good for trade and good for both countries.”

Krysta Harden, President and CEO, U.S. Dairy Export Council

“The U.S. dairy industry strongly supports the launch of the U.S.-China Board of Trade and the prospect it offers for giving U.S. dairy exporters and their customers the predictability they need. We are encouraged by the inclusion of U.S. dairy exports on the list of products to be considered for tariff reduction. USDEC urges the Board to swiftly deliver the full elimination of the retaliatory tariffs that still weigh on U.S. dairy so our suppliers can compete on a more level playing field. The two-month extension of the tariff truce is also a welcome step forward. As wider talks continue, it is essential that proposed port fees on Chinese ships are not passed along to U.S. agricultural exporters. Added freight costs would undercut the very gains the Board of Trade is meant to achieve.”

Announcements by the U.S. and China governments indicated that the Board of Trade’s tariff relief will be implemented “consistent with their respective domestic laws and processes” rather than taking effect immediately. In July, USDEC and NMPF provided input on the Board of Trade’s design and product coverage, stressing the need for relief from retaliatory tariffs on U.S. dairy exports. Both organizations will continue working with the U.S. government to remove remaining barriers to trade and prevent new ones.

U.S. Dairy Statement on Luke Lindberg World Food Programme Appointment

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council today welcomed the appointment of Luke Lindberg to serve as executive director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme.

Statement from Gregg Doud, President and CEO of NMPF:

“U.S. dairy farmers are proud to support the nutrition needs of billions worldwide, including through global food aid packages that incorporate nutrient-dense dairy ingredients. The work that Under Secretary Lindberg will lead with the World Food Programme (WFP) is instrumental in supporting those most in need. His appointment is an exceptional choice in advancing the WFP’s important mission into the future. We encourage him to incorporate additional U.S. dairy products in the Programme’s initiatives and we look forward to continuing to work alongside him in this new role.”

Statement from Krysta Harden, President and CEO of USDEC:

“While we will certainly miss Under Secretary Lindberg’s leadership at USDA, we congratulate him on this important new opportunity. The U.S. dairy community has long supported international humanitarian efforts to combat malnutrition and reach the most vulnerable among us, but we believe incorporation of dairy in these critical packages has been underutilized, particularly given the nutrient-dense nature of our products. Under Secretary Lindberg’s impressive experience and talent will be an asset in leading the World Food Programme (WFP) to a new frontier. USDEC is excited to collaborate with him in supporting WFP’s critical work around the globe and explore opportunities to increase the availability of U.S. dairy products for WFP’s humanitarian efforts.”

NMPF Applauds Senate Farm Bill Committee Passage

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

From NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud:  

“We applaud Chairman Boozman and members of the Senate Agriculture Committee for advancing the 2026 Senate Farm Bill, which includes key provisions that support and strengthen the dairy industry. With a farm bill already through the House, we’re hopeful that both chambers can now work together on full congressional passage in 2026 that gives dairy farmers the certainty they deserve.”

Ag committees head toward new leadership

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

By Trey Forsyth, Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs

Whatever the outcome of this year’s midterms, agriculture is about to get a fresh set of hands on the wheel in Washington. Both the House and Senate Agriculture committees are heading toward new leadership in the next Congress, and the choices both parties make could shape farm policy for years beyond the current farm bill fight.

 

The clearest opening is on the House Agriculture Committee, where Ranking Member Angie Craig, (D-Minn.), gave up her seat this cycle to run for Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat, guaranteeing a new top Democrat on the panel next year. House Agriculture Committee Vice Ranking Member Shontel Brown, (D-Ohio), has already expressed interest with her colleagues in taking the top job, and others on the committee may throw their name in the ring as well.

On the Republican side, Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, (R-Pa.), has reached his six-year term limit under House GOP conference rules and has asked leadership for a waiver to stay on. If that request is denied, Republicans will be picking their own new leader as well, with Rep. Austin Scott, (R-Ga.), reportedly already making his case for the gavel.

The Senate is set for a similar transition. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D-Minn.), ranking member of the Senate on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, is running for Minnesota governor this fall. If she wins in November, she’ll resign her Senate seat, opening a path for other Democrats on the committee to step into a bigger role. Sen. Michael Bennet, (D-Colo.), who lost his bid for Colorado governor earlier this year, is the next most senior senator on committee and is among those positioned to take on more responsibility for the panel’s Democrats.

All of this is happening as Congress tries to close out the farm bill. The last full reauthorization expired in 2023, and lawmakers have been filling the gap piece-by-piece — first through last year’s reconciliation package, and now through Chairman John Boozman’s, (R-Ark.), “Farm Bill 2.0” effort in the Senate, which follows the House’s April passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act. With only a handful of legislative days left before the election, and Congress not expected back until mid-November, there’s still a chance the bill gets finished during the lame-duck session.

That timing could work in farmers’ favor. Lawmakers who’ve spent months negotiating the details have every incentive to close the deal before new committee leadership resets the conversation. A lame-duck farm bill, built on the progress already made this Congress, could be the more efficient path, sparing the incoming chairs and ranking members from having to relitigate fights that are already close to resolved.

If the bill slips past the lame duck, it will fall to a new slate of leaders on both committees to pick the negotiations back up in the next Congress — a fresh cast of members getting up to speed on a bill that’s already been through years of hearings, markups, and compromise. That’s a real setback for farmers who need certainty now. The progress made this Congress is worth finishing this Congress, giving new leadership on the agriculture committees a clean foundation to build on rather than an unfinished fight to inherit.

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on Sept. 14, 2026.

Milk, cheese, and Mexico: A partnership grows

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

By Jaime Castaneda, Executive Vice President, Policy Development & Strategy

For America’s dairy farmers, few trade relationships matter more than the one we have built with Mexico. This summer brought fresh proof that partnership remains strong, and fresh urgency to get the policy details right as the two countries renegotiate trade terms.

Deepening ties at the binational summit

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) led a delegation of U.S. dairy leaders to Querétaro, Mexico, from July 29 to 31, for the eighth annual U.S.-Mexico Binational Dairy Summit.

NMPF and leading Mexican dairy organizations discussed issues affecting producers and consumers in both countries, and reaffirmed shared principles supporting dairy sector growth and competitiveness in both markets. Participants also adopted a new commitment: supporting the next generation of dairy farmers through the exchange of knowledge and experience.

“When dairy farmers on both sides of the border sit down together, we find we’re solving the same problems and chasing the same opportunities,” said Becky Nyman, a dairy farmer who took part in this year’s summit. “This relationship works because it’s built on real conversations.”

Why Mexico matters to U.S. dairy farmers

Mexico is the single most important export market for American dairy by a wide margin. In 2025, Mexico bought $2.6 billion worth of U.S. dairy products — 27% of all U.S. dairy exports by value — making it America’s top cheese customer ($965 million), and top buyer of nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder ($1.1 billion).

That success didn’t happen overnight. Before the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) took effect in 1994, U.S. dairy exports to Mexico totaled just $211 million a year. Mexico crossed the $1 billion threshold in 2011; by 2025, that figure had grown nearly two-and-a-half-fold again.

Every pound of cheese and every truckload of milk powder moving south reflects real commercial value on U.S. dairy farms. That’s why strengthening this relationship is a bottom-line issue for producers nationwide.

USMCA Talks: where things stand

That growth is precisely why NMPF has been at the negotiating table as the U.S. and Mexico work through the review process of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In addition to the Querétaro summit, NMPF’s Shawna Morris and I traveled to Mexico City July 22 to 23 for the third round of U.S.-Mexico bilateral negotiations. U.S. talks with Canada are continuing on a separate track.

Throughout the week, Shawna and I pressed Mexican officials, including the lead agricultural negotiator, trade ministry staff, and the director general of Mexico’s intellectual property office, on two priorities: protecting common cheese names like “Feta” and “Parmesan” from restrictions Mexico is facing pressure to adopt under its trade deal with the European Union, and preserving the broad market access that U.S. dairy exporters currently enjoy in the Mexican market.

NMPF-led engagement also included meetings with Mexican dairy industry leadership, plus briefings on Capitol Hill and with the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. As confidential advisors to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and USDA, Shawna and I are continuing to urge the U.S. negotiating team to resolve outstanding issues constructively so a stronger and renewed trade agreement with Mexico emerges from this review.

Mexico didn’t become the top dairy market of the United States by accident. It took fair trade rules to open the door, and decades of relationship-building to keep it open. As USMCA negotiations continue, NMPF will keep working every angle to make sure this relationship remains productive for the next generation of dairy farmers on both sides of the border.

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on Aug. 31, 2026.